Socialization and the Performance of Gender
Gender is a performance that is a result of early socialization. From early on, children are taught what is correct for boys and girls. These notions of gender roles are a result or application of social concepts. Gender roles are the established norms of a society and are culturally relative. This paper will attempt to describe the results of an observational study in the setting of an airport and link American social norms of gender to the findings. Norms will be analyzed in terms of body language, clothing, and various other performances.
The general layout is divided into two major areas: formal and informal. For the purpose of this paper, the lobby serves as the informal area. This is where people read, partake in discussions, eat, and wait for the arrival of their flight. Chairs and newspaper stands are contained in this area. However, the formal area is quite the opposite. It runs adjacent to the lobby and is characterized by people quickly moving to reach their appropriate gate. This area is formal for the simple fact that it serves one key purpose, which is to provide an area of transportation from one place to another. It is in this formal area where much of the gender performance occurs.
Gender boundaries are often breechable-that is, males and females do not always perform in a manner that supports gender roles. For instance, a woman can often wear jeans and a T-shirt-which is normally considered men’s attire-without much problem. On the other hand, if men wear women’s attire such as a dress, then they are considered to be defying their gender norms. Thus, the men have breached their gender boundaries. Often, there are certain activities of social control to reprimand this behavior such as giving dirty looks and, at times, violence is used to reinforce social norms of gender.
This concept of breaching gender roles appears in one observation. A male is in the informal area speaking on a cellular phone. He sits holding the phone with a limp wrist, legs crossed at the knees, and one arm crossed at his waist. He differs from other noticeable men in his posture. Most other men appear with their arms open, draped over the backs of chairs, or hands resting on their knees. They also appear with their legs uncrossed or crossed with the ankle on the knee. The specific gentleman in this observation has a more closed-off body. This is often considered a feminine characteristic. Also, whereas other men have hair that is simply combed, this man’s hair is perfectly trimmed and styled with styling gel. This is yet another characteristic that begins to breach certain gender boundaries.
To demonstrate that gender is taught at an early age, a family of four will be discussed. The little boy is dressed in a sports outfit while the little girl is wearing a yellow dress with a bow in her hair. Boys are taught to be aggressive and athletic, which would explain why the boy wears the sports outfit. On the other hand, the girl’s clothing suggests that females should be feminine and passive. Since the boy and girl do not wear the same types of clothing, this signifies that the distinction between male and female is a learned trait and not biological. “Parents reinforce distinctions through their selection of infants’ and children’s clothing” (Kendall, 67). This demonstrates that gender is socialized beginning at an early age and continued on to new generations. Thus, “gender is culturally and socially constructed differences between females and males based on meanings, beliefs and practices that a group or society associates with femininity or masculinity” (Kendall, 64).
The result of this early socialization leads to distinctions in the careers of men and women later in life. This is especially obvious in an airport setting. By a rough estimate, female flight attendants outnumber their male counterparts four to one. However, a female pilot was never observed. The pilot position is one of authority and prestige while the flight attendant position is seen as a more supportive and subservient role. According to Michael A. Messner, “Since boys and men have had far more opportunitiesâÂ?¦ to gain skills and knowledge, it subsequently appears rational for adult men to serve in positions of knowledgeable authority, with women serving in a supportive capacity” (Messner, 772). This assertion is supported by the observed parents’ encouragement of gender stereotyping. The children’s clothing is a symbol of the various notions of gender. This perpetuates a sexual division in society and the workforce, as seen with the flight attendants and pilots.
Gender distinctions hinder gender equality. The majority of authority positions will continue to be occupied by men as long as women are encouraged to be passive and men are encouraged to be aggressive. “Sexual divisions of labor are interwoven with, and mutually supportive of, divisions of power and authority among women and men” (Messner, 771). Social norms on masculine and feminine traits are socialized early in life and will maintain a society of inequality.
Works Cited
Kendall, Diana. Social Problems In a Diverse Society. 2nd ed.Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2001.
Messner, Michael A. “Barbie Girls Versus Sea Monsters: Children Constructing Gender”. Gender & Society, Vol. 14 No. 6, December 2000.
